When Is The BCRA Vote? The Senate's Trumpcare Bill Could On The Table Soon

On Thursday, the Senate released a "discussion draft" of the Better Care Reconciliation Act, which is its version of a health care bill that will repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act. It's an important piece of legislation that, if passed, would affect more Americans than any other piece of legislation Donald Trump plans to sign off on during his administration. So when is the BCRA vote and how much time do Americans and lawmakers have to debate the finer points of the bill?

To pass the ACA, for example, Congress held numerous, lengthy, and televised hearings debating the nuances of the bill. It took two years to pass it, and the debates over the individual mandate went all the way to the Supreme Court. It was excruciating to watch, but there was a public debate.

That's usually how things go. Senate Democrats (and anyone who might one day need health care) are worried that this bill will pass too quickly, without any debate. But there seems to be a rush to repeal and replace Obamacare, in any way possible, coming from the administration.

The bill was drafted by 13 male senators, pretty much behind closed doors. Last week, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said told reporters that she hadn't seen a draft of the bill just hours before it was released to the public, quipping, "I am not a reporter, and I am not a lobbyist, so I've seen nothing." Allegedly, McConnell and the other senators crafting the bill had been talking to insurance companies and health care lobbyists to draft the bill, instead of bringing in a bipartisan group of their colleagues only to hash out the finer policy points.

This is not a tiny bill about whether or not the country should have more bike lanes or fix more potholes (if only, right?). The bill would drastically cut Medicaid, take away tax subsidies for lower income people to afford health care, defund Planned Parenthood, potentially charge senior citizens and kids with disabilities more for health care, and give states the option to take away essential health benefits like maternity care, prescription drugs like inhalers, mental health care and substance abuse coverage.

Politics aside, this bill is a big deal. At the very least, Americans should get to hear their representatives defend it before it goes to a vote. That would be the most patriotic thing to do before the Fourth of July holiday.